Until my Final Breath (Shikimori's not just a Cutie fanfic)

Chapter 4: Honey Lemon Tea (pt. 2)

"Kara, I say stop!" Shikimori suddenly ordered as loud as she could, in such an angry tone that even I got jolted, and maybe so was Kara. She unpins me from the ground, allowing my muscles to move a little and me to feel my body again, then she goes to the corner of the living room and starts mourning while bowing her head.

As soon as I am allowed to move, I rise my back from the ground, do a quick stretching exercise, and adjust my backpack. Then I get up from the floor and look for Shikimori-san. "You know, next time, don't scold it like that. Dogs have feelings, too." I told her while stretching out my legs and arms.

I then turn my head to the stairs and finally find where she is. She is wearing a black t-shirt with camo-patterned shorts, while her hair is tied in a ponytail. I stand still for quite a time to observe her simple, but beautiful image. She is folding her arms while leaning her shoulder to the wall behind her. However, what catches my attention the most is her face.

She looks... sad...

"I know how to train my dog, Izumi-san..." She told me, after letting out a sigh. "C'mon, let's go upstairs. Don't keep me waiting." She ordered me and started walking upstairs.

"... Yes, ma'am," I responded. Before I join her upstairs, I go to Kara's place, who is still mourning after getting scolded by her master. Standing in front of the shepherd, I start rubbing her head to comfort her. "Don't take it bad, okay? Your master really cares about you..." I told her, making her stop mourning, and responded with a happier woof. After that, I leave her place and start joining Shikimori-san upstairs, without forgetting to wave Kara goodbye.

~0O0~

This is the first time I have ever stepped foot into a girl's bedroom...

When I walk into Shikimori-san's bedroom, I start observing her room. It is actually not much different from a normal room, or what I thought it would be. The walls are painted yellow, with a single bed on the right side of the room, underneath the windows. There are some basic kinds of stuff such as her wardrobe, her desk with books still lying on it, and a small bookshelf above. Lingering around the air is a nice, wonderful aroma. Overall, it is not something that I expected it to be.

"Close the door, please, Izumi-san," Shikimori-san ordered me. She is sitting next to a low table, which is already arranged near the bed for the guests. There is also a bottle that is filled with some kind of honey yellow drink that I cannot identify what it is, with some paper cups nearby. "My brother is working next door, so we should not bother him with any noise." She explained, which I obliged and carefully closed the door behind me. After that, I approach the table and find myself a spot to sit down, before placing my backpack next to me.

"Such a nice room you have, Shikimori-san," I told her, and she nodded as a response while pouring herself a drink in one of the cups and taking a sip from it. She waits for me to settle myself for a while before she decides to speak.

"Okay, Izumi-san..." She began. "As I've already told you at school, let's start discussing-"

"Wait!" I stopped her. "Inuzuka-kun and the rest aren't here yet. Shouldn't we wait for them?" I asked her, noticing that our friends hadn't arrived, as I may be the first one to be here first.

"Nekozaki texted me that she and the rest of them will be running late," Shikimori answered. "So while we are waiting for them, let's just discuss our next summer trip, okay?" She asked me.

"I see..." I mumbled, understanding the reason myself, then I let out a chuckle. "I'm still kind of surprised that you want to plan this early, Shikimori-san." I continued. "I mean, we're not even near the exam week yet, shouldn't that be something we should care about first, Shikimori-san?" I asked her. As soon as I finish my question, I notice her start gripping the paper cup.